Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Tomato, Garlic & Herbs
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Shrimp marinated in a mix of olive oil, tomato paste, lemon, garlic & herbs and then grilled until slightly charred.
In this easy recipe, shrimp are quickly marinated in a bright and tangy mixture of olive oil, tomato paste, lemon, garlic, and herbs and then grilled until plump and slightly charred. They’re perfect for entertaining because all of the prep is done ahead of time. All you have to do when your guests arrive is throw the skewers on the grill. But be forewarned: people will eat more than their fair share. Make extra!
What you’ll need to make Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Tomato, Garlic & Herbs
For this recipe, try to find jumbo frozen shrimp (21-25 to a pound) labeled “shell split and deveined.” Come dinnertime, all you have to do is poke a few holes in the bottom of the bag, run the shrimp under warm water to quickly defrost, and then peel.
Fact is, unless you live on the coast and have access to fresh shrimp, it’s best to buy frozen. The “fresh” ones you see in the seafood case at the supermarket have almost always been frozen and then thawed, and you never know how long they’ve been sitting there. Most shrimp are cleaned and flash-frozen shortly after being caught, so you’re better off buying the frozen variety and defrosting them yourself.
How to make them
Begin by making the marinade. Combine the tomato paste, olive oil, lemon juice, shallots, garlic, herbs, salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes in a mini food processor or blender.
Process until the mixture resembles a thick paste.
Toss the shrimp with the marinade and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Thread it onto skewers. This is optional, but I think the skewers make it so much easier to turn them over on the grill.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, then grease the grates with a wad of paper towels dipped in oil.
Grill the skewers about 1-1/2 minutes per side. It sounds crazy but I always set a timer — three minutes goes by faster than you think, and it’s a sin to overcook them!
Enjoy!
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Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Tomato, Garlic & Herbs
Shrimp marinated in a mix of olive oil, tomato paste, lemon, garlic & herbs and then grilled until slightly charred.
Ingredients
- 2½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 large shallot, roughly chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds jumbo shrimp (21-25 per pound), peeled and de-veined (leave tails on if desired), thawed if frozen
Instructions
- To make the marinade, combine all of the ingredients except for the shrimp in a mini food processor or blender; blend until the mixture forms a smooth paste.
- Combine the shrimp and the marinade in a medium bowl and stir until shrimp are evenly coated. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes - 1 hour.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Meanwhile, thread the shrimp onto skewers (going through the top and bottom of each shrimp). Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over grates several times until glossy and coated. Grill the shrimp skewers about 1½ minutes per side. Be sure not to overcook! Serve hot, room temperature or cold.
- *If you're entertaining and want to get everything done ahead of time, you can thread the shrimp onto the skewers right after mixing with the marinade.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 251
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Sodium: 911 mg
- Cholesterol: 191 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I made this shrimp dish again for our Memorial Day weekend barbecue… we were only using half the shrimp, but I made the full amount of marinade. Put half of the marinade in the fridge to use the next day. This shrimp dish is my favorite summer dish… it is fabulous. The next day, following your recommendation in another comment, used the leftover marinade on boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Wow!!! Absolutely delicious, and I already plan on making both the chicken and the shrimp again very soon. Thank you for not only this recipe, but for so many others of yours that I use all the time.
Hi Liz, I like their mild, slightly sweet flavor.
Definitely making it this weekend!!!
Made these only using a small amount of the marinade for the shrimp, used the rest of it on chicken breast the next night and both were really good. Husband said keeper!
Good to know, Nancy. Thank you!
What would you serve these with? Thanks!
Hi Sally, You could serve them on their own as an appetizer if you’re entertaining outdoors. For a main course, they’d go with just about anything…I typically serve them with either a pasta salad, fresh corn salad or green salad. They are also excellent with a simple sauté of diced zucchini, cherry tomatoes and garlic in olive oil.
Made these last night. Awesome! Ours did take longer than 3 minutes to grill. We brought them in to the table, then had to put them back on the grill. I guess our fire was not as hot as yours. It just tempted our diners more!
Made these for dinner tonite. They were fabulous! Everyone raved Was wondering if you could use on chicken too?
Hi Kathy, Yes but I would use on bone-in, skin-on chicken or boneless skinless chicken thighs and marinate much longer. I never use acidic marinades on boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Hi Jenn,
I have been searching for a marinate for bone, in skin-on chicken breast!! How much longer is best to marinate?
Thank you!!
Hi Cheryl, I’d marinate for at least six hours or overnight.
One of the many recipes we love from your site. We are headed out for a few days in our RV and I would love to make this marinade ahead of time. How many days Do you think it would it be good for? Thank you!
Hi Jenn, You could make the marinade up to 3 days ahead. Hope that helps, and have a great trip!
This recipe sounds wonderful. Very soon I am going to try this.
The marinade sounds SO good here. Will have to give this a try soon!
Absolutely making this, it sounds amazing!